A circular issued by the Council of Ministers on 17 July 2002 provides that an alien who served a prison sentence will not be expelled from Belgian territory if he or she has lived legally in Belgium for at least 20 years, if he or she was born in Belgium, or arrived in Belgium before the age of 12, or if, as head of household, he or she was sentenced to terms of less than five years' imprisonment.
Una circular del Consejo de Ministros, de 17 de julio de 2002, estipula que un extranjero que haya cumplido pena de prisión no podrá ser expulsado del territorio belga si ha residido legalmente en Bélgica por un período no inferior a 20 años, o si nació en Bélgica o llegó al país antes de cumplir los 12 años, o si, siendo jefe de familia, hubiera sido condenado a una pena inferior a cinco años.